Michael P. Sandonato

Partner, New York

Michael Sandonato is an experienced trial lawyer, who has served as lead trial counsel in patent litigations in district courts across the country, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and arbitrations. He has been praised by clients as a "terrific" lawyer (Chambers 2016) who is “extremely smart and client-focused” (Best Lawyers, 2015) who “always proposes thoughtful and creative strategies” (Legal 500, 2012).

Michael is equally adept at representing both patent owners and accused infringers, and has an established reputation as a "winner" who “puts his clients’ needs first” (Best Lawyers, 2015). As one client said, “In my 15 years of working with Mike, I and our executive team have been impressed by the professionalism, legal acumen, attitude and client-focused approach to his work” (Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars, 2015).

Michael has lectured on patent law at conferences around the globe, and has spoken on panels along-side the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Chief Administrative Law Judge of the ITC, as well as Judges from the Intellectual Property High Court in Japan and the IPR Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court of China.

Michael chairs Fitzpatrick’s Electronic and Computer Technologies practice group and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Lead counsel to Canon, enforcing patents on its laser toner cartridge technology in the International Trade Commission, and in companion cases in U.S. district courts. As a result of that work, Mike and his team secured for Canon the rare and powerful remedy of a General Exclusion Order (GEO) from the ITC on two separate occasions, representing 2 of only 5 GEOs issued in 2013-2015.

“In my 15 years of working with Mike, I and our executive team have been impressed by the professionalism, legal acumen, attitude and client-focused approach to his work” (Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars 2015)

Michael is active as an alumnus of Columbia Law School, serving on the Dean’s Development Committee, serving as the Co-Chair of his 20th (2012) and 25th (2017) reunions and giving periodic lectures to students on substantive law and career development.